Going out: Cinema
NapoleonOut nowRidley Scott’s Napoleon biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix is less po-faced historical epic than it is deadpan character study. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of battles and skirmishes – but his love life proves just as lively, with Vanessa Kirby delivering a sultry turn as the defiantly unfaithful Joséphine de Beauharnais.
The Eternal DaughterOut nowStarring Tilda Swinton and Tilda Swinton, as both halves of a mother-daughter relationship, this minor-key, atmospheric and deeply personal film from Joanna Hogg (Exhibition, The Souvenir) is set in a near-deserted hotel, where the pair have come to reconnect. Highly recommended.
WishOut nowCo-written by Frozen writer-director Jennifer Lee, whether Wish can replicate the success of the ice-bound box-office juggernaut remains to be seen, but it’s set to be the big family film this Christmas, with a golden-era Disney-style plot, and an appealing voice cast (Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk).
GirlOut nowThe Glasgow-based British-Nigerian writer-director and playwright Adura Onashile makes her feature debut with this understated drama about Grace (Déborah Lukumuena), a young mum and her 11-year-old daughter living in a Glasgow tower block. The film wowed audiences at the Sundance film festival earlier this year. Catherine Bray
Going out: Gigs
Raye 29 November to 7 December; tour starts BridlingtonIt’s been a pretty spectacular year for the genre hopping singer-songwriter, scoring a No 1 single, nabbing a Mercury nomination and supporting SZA in the US. She returns to the UK for a lap of honour, bringing her blend of pop, R&B, jazz and soul with her. Michael Cragg
Ashnikko 30 November to 11 December; tour starts LondonUS agit-pop practitioner Ashnikko creates weird and wonderful worlds via pummelling soundscapes anchored by outre lyrics about things like environmental catastrophe and threatened civilisations. Expect that world to emerge in glorious 3D on this showcase for summer’s UK Top 10 debut hit Weedkiller. MC
Tony KofiPeggy’s Skylight, Nottingham, 25 November; Seven Arts, Leeds, 30 NovemberThe gifted Tony Kofi dreamed of playing saxophone in a coma following a roof fall as a teenage carpenter – a baptism that has turned him into an exciting multi-stylistic UK jazz star for three decades since. He’s with his funky organ band in Nottingham, and with the eclectic harpist Alina Bzezhinska in Leeds. John Fordham
Symphony Orchestra of India Coventry, 29 November; London, 30 November; Birmingham, 1 December; touring to 8 DecemberIndia’s only professional orchestra embarks on its second British tour. Among the soloists are Pável Kolesnikov playing Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto, and Zakir Hussain (tabla), Niladri Kumar (sitar) and Rakesh Chaurasia (bansuri) in the first European performances of Hussain’s own Triple Concerto. Andrew Clements
Going out: Art
Pope.LSouth London Gallery, to 11 FebruaryRace and gender are given physical expression in the art of Pope.L. This show promises a visceral encounter with an artist whose performances and sculptures have been subverting the US since the 1970s. It includes the flour-covered tower on which he once sat reading the Wall Street Journal.
Impressionists on PaperRoyal Academy, London, 25 November to 10 MarchThe lush pastels of Degas are among the highlights of this survey of drawings and watercolours by the late-19th-century French avant garde. It argues the impressionists and post-impressionists are scintillating on paper as well as canvas – and with works by Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and more, who would argue?
David PanosNN Contemporary Art, Northampton to 20 JanuaryA film installation that revels in Northampton’s goth side; this is a city rich in gothic buildings from the Victorian era. Jarman award winner David Panos puts their atmospheric arches and vaults together with another local product – the band Bauhaus, who launched modern goth music with Bela Lugosi’s Dead.
City of RiversWeston Park Museum, Sheffield, to 3 NovemberThis epic exhibition with more than 300 objects explores the waterways of Sheffield and their impact on the city and its history. There are paintings of the city’s river life during the Industrial Revolution and contemporary responses by artists and poets. With Alison Churchill, Ruth Levene, Joe Scarborough and more. Jonathan Jones
Going out: Stage
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of TaiwanSadler’s Wells, London, 30 November to 2 DecemberIt’s the 50th anniversary of this company, which draws on Asian, western, classical, folk and modern dance. They’re marking the occasion with the UK premiere of Lunar Halo, set to the music of Sigur Rós – the band’s soundscapes are a perfect match for Cloud Gate’s dreamy dancing. Lyndsey Winship
The Homecoming Young Vic, 27 November to 27 JanuaryDirector Matthew Dunster’s revival of Harold Pinter’s intense domestic drama. Son Teddy returns home to east London with his new wife – and a simmering power struggle ensues. Chernobyl’s Jared Harris stars. Miriam Gillinson
EvitaCurve theatre, Leicester, 27 Nov to 13 JanA locally produced revival of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, starring Martha Kirby as Eva Perón. Directed by Nikolai Foster, hopefully with his trademark intensity and compassion. MG
Mo Gilligan + Friends Eventim Apollo, London, 27 November; Utilita Arena, Birmingham, 7 DecemberemberThe standup turned TV staple shines a light on the Black comedy circuit – where he honed his craft – with this mixed-bill tour, which has featured his Gogglebox pal Babatunde Aléshé, Strictly’s Eddie Kadi and up-and-comer Kyrah Gray. If you miss these dates, the show will be back on the road in late 2024. Rachel Aroesti
Staying in: Streaming
Doctor WhoBBC One & iPlayer, 25 November, 6.30pmBefore Russell T Davies cracks on with a new era of the indefatigable sci-fi series, he warms up with three specials celebrating the show’s 60th anniversary. Expect a mix of nostalgia and novelty with David Tennant and Yasmin Finney (above), plus cameos from Neil Patrick Harris and Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th doctor.
The Artful DodgerDisney+, 29 NovemberThis new twist (apologies) on the Dickens classic stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the titular Jack Dawkins, an erstwhile precocious pickpocket now working as an apparently bona fide surgeon in Australia. But when Fagin (David Thewlis) makes contact, Dawkins soon finds himself with a familiar case of sticky fingers.
Reservation DogsDisney+Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s experimental, fun and profound comedy about Indigenous teens in Oklahoma was built around the idea of loss – the group’s friend Daniel took his own life a year before the opening episode – and now we must prepare to bid farewell to the show itself, as it returns for a third and final season.
Julius Caesar: The Making of a DictatorBBC Two & iPlayer, 27 November, 9pmThis three-parter aims to unpick themes of power, ambition and strategy from the ever-timely tale of Caesar’s rise and fall, deep diving into the political style that revolutionised the Roman empire and provided a template for generations of future fascists. RA
Staying in: Games
Gangs of SherwoodOut 30 November, PlayStation 5, PC, XboxRobin Hood, but make it steampunk: this four-player co-operative action game has you blowing up the Sheriff of Nottingham in a fantasy industrial England.
Train Valley 2Out now, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo SwitchThis hidden gem is well worth checking out when it finally comes out on to consoles: solve puzzles by building track and managing routes in an endearing virtual train set. Keza MacDonald
Staying in: Albums
Spector – Here Come the Early NightsOut nowOn this fourth album, the indie stalwarts grapple with ageing. According to singer Fred Macpherson, it touches on “hair loss, moving house, and not being able to go clubbing with a baby”, and musically it references everyone from Abba to Nick Cave.
Busta Rhymes – BlockbustaOut nowThe rapid-fire rap legend returns with this follow-up to 2020’s Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God. Executive produced by experienced banger merchants Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Swizz Beatz, Blockbusta continues Busta’s propensity for playful party-starters as showcased by the Bia-assisted Beach Ball.
Various – Light in the Attic & FriendsOut nowLight in the Attic celebrates its 22-year history with a compilation of covers of songs the label helped revive. Highlights include Iggy Pop and Zig Zags covering funk great Betty Davis, father and daughter Ethan and Maya Hawke tackling Willie Nelson, and Angel Olsen paying homage to folk singer Karen Dalton.
Take That – This Life Out nowOn their first studio album in six years, enduring manband Take That channel a more sun-kissed, 70s MOR sound, all bar-room piano, layered falsetto and overgrown facial hair. Lead single Windows is classic Barlow, slowly building to a gorgeous chorus that screams permanent residency on the Radio 2 A-list. MC
Staying in: Brain food
GrownPodcastThe second season of this podcast that delves into the late teenage years when we find ourselves nearing adulthood is typically charming, hearing from teens themselves about their sibling relationships, prom nights and body image.
The School of Life YouTubePhilosopher Alain de Botton’s School of Life is less academic and more of an aspirational resource, best used for uplifting advice. Its short videos outline basic principles on everything from cultivating resilience to getting better sleep.
American SymphonyNetflix, 29 NovemberGrammy and Oscar-winner Jon Batiste and his partner, author Suleika Jaouad, are the focus of this touching film, charting their creative life while Batiste aims to create his genre-breaking debut symphony and Jaouad undergoes gruelling cancer treatment Ammar Kalia
